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Sunday, May 24, 2015

Edo civil servants suspends warning strike, resume Monday

Workers in the Edo State Civil Service have suspended a three-day warning strike over ‎the alleged deduction of eight per cent from their May 2015 salaries as pension contribution.

The workers, under the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, have also been directed by their respective unions to resume work on Monday.

The employees had last week threatened to embarked on the warning strike on May 25 over the deductions which they said were‎ contrary to the Edo State Contributory Pension Scheme Law of 2010.

The ‎communique announcing the strike read that the move by the workers became necessary following the state government’s unwillingness to discuss the issues related to pension before the deductions.

But the State Chairman of the NLC, Emmanuel Ademokun, told our correspondent on Sunday that the industrial action was suspended following an agreement reached in a closed-door meeting between the organised labour and the Edo State Government on May 22‎.

Ademokun explained that the state government had said Head of Service acted “wrongly by deducting workers’ salaries without consulting the workers.‎”

“We have suspended the strike because the circular that led to the strike has been withdrawn; it was withdrawn when we met the governor who said the Head of Service acted wrongly in issuing the ‎circular.

“The government also said salaries withdrawn and computerisations would be restored immediately while a new date would be fixed for the commencement of a new scheme.‎ They (workers) will resume work tomorrow,” he added.